Help w/ Refinishing Upstairs Hardwood Floors in Colonial
Hello!
We are looking to remove carpet upstairs and refinish hardwood floors that exist under the carpet (yay -- although there are a few small areas where new flooring will need to be inserted as there is only plywood, mostly in bedroom closets).
The downstairs of the house was renovated ~6-8 years ago (not by us) and wide plank pine flooring was installed in the downstairs of the house (everywhere except a small downstairs office, which still has the original oak flooring). Upstairs there are 2.25" oak floors (we believe they are red oak).
We have a few questions regarding stain / finish selection:
1. Would you recommend attempting to match the upstairs and office flooring to the downstairs pine flooring in color (we know it won't be exact)? If so, what color / finish do you recommend?
2. Alternatively, would you recommend going with a darker brown, contrasting finish on the upstairs and office flooring?
Our style is french country / farmhouse and we love the cozy feeling of the current downstairs pine floors.
Some pictures attached -- the picture with the red door shows the transition from the downstairs pine floors to the currently stained downstairs oak floors in the office. The carpet pulled up photo shows what the floors look like under the upstairs carpet!
Note that we are also planning to remove wallpaper / repaint the interior of the house, but that is a project for another day!
TIA for any help!
Comments (15)
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Advice please - final sanding - hardwood floor refinishing
Comments (2)If the cloudiness and scratches are from sanding-- then yes, the third coat will resolve it. Be sure to vacuum thoroughly w/ powerful vac (including walls and everything to eliminate all dust) then go over floor w/ tack cloth to pick up every last bit of dust. Also make sure applicator pad is absolutely clean--vacuuming it can help....See MoreOld hardwoods and animal smells: Help! (xpost w floor)
Comments (7)In the past I've solved animal urine odor problems in rental properties by removing the carpet and sealing the wood underneath with 2 coats of oil-based floor enamel. (Do they even make that stuff any more?) I think the key is that the finish must cure by chemical reaction, not by solvent evaporation. In this case of course you don't want enamel, but rather a clear finish. I'm not an expert on floor finishing, but maybe something like a good traditional spar varnish would work....See MoreHelp me understand hardwood floor refinishing options please!
Comments (25)As stated above, mixing manufacturers can be tricky. DuraSeal works well with water based finishes because DuraSeal MAKES water based finishes. Minwax does not. Minwax produces oil based finishes that are illegal in 11 states. Bona is MUCH more expensive than either DuraSeal and most definitely more than Minwax. I am extremely pleased to see a professional reach for Bona stain for Bona Finish. That tells me all I need to know. @Design2 girl - If you are getting used to the colour (as it is) then feel free to see if a small discount can be given for leaving it in place. If you feel this is not the colour you want to live with, then you will need to have it sanded off and start fresh. A double application of stain is a NO-NO in the flooring industry. The second coat can and will PREVENT bonding of the finish to the wood! That means you run the risk of the floor pealing like a sun burn! Yep. In a few days to a few months the whole thing could slough off like snake skin. Not pretty. Personally I like the colour as it is right now. This mid-tone cool brown (not much yellow/orange) is very desirable. I would put down some satin finish over top and enjoy a very handsome floor....See Morejust refinished hardwood floors: What is this?.
Comments (10)sigh. you will be sorely disappointed, and out a lot of money if you let him continue. putting a top coat on this floor will do nothing to eliminate all those mistakes. The fact that he thinks he did a fine job, and has no problem with it, is alarming. there is no way to get rid of those swirl marks unless you start over. I can't even see the entire floor but I can tell you have uneven absorption w/the stain, causing 'blotches'. trying to 'erase' those stains and dark spill spots, will be obvious fixes. dirt in the grain? fingerprint stain marks? dark and light areas on the treads? it's too much for him to do spot fixing. he will try and tell you he can, and then say, 'oh the rest is fine (like the swirls). you won't be able to tell once the top coat is on'. I'll bet you dollars to donuts he tells you that. It's your money, and your floors. if you thought it was good, you wouldn't be here asking us. We're telling you it's not good and it needs a complete do-over. And I sure wouldn't hire him to do it....See More
nicole_peles
4 years ago
Design Girl
4 years ago
PROJAN MOYER
4 years agonicole_peles
4 years agoAlways find something interesting when they take up the carpet I guess ... 🤷♀️
SJ McCarthy
4 years agonicole_peles
4 years agoSJ McCarthy
4 years agonicole_peles
4 years agoTime to choose stain samples. The upstairs has four different types of wood, so that’s fun.
We’re thinking Early American for the downstairs office to try to match the current pine floors (photo 1). Anyone prefer Special Walnut, Provincial or 50 Provincial / 50 Neutral?
Upstairs, 3 of the bedrooms have a very red (cherry?) wood so early American didn’t look very good (photo 4). The other bedroom has a mix of woods (photo 3) and the stairs are red oak (no pic). We’ve been advised that a darker stain might work better given everything going on so we’ve been looking at either Provincial, 50 Provincial / 50 Neutral, or 33 Jacobean / 33 Provincial / 33 Neutral. Anyone have a preference between those three?
Using water based poly in Satin finish.
User
4 years agoK H
4 years agoSJ McCarthy
4 years agonicole_peles
4 years ago
SJ McCarthy